IPA Group Company alfaQuest selected for 25 FasTRAK CTP Units


IPA Group company alfaQuest based in Rolling Meadows IL, USA have been selected by Stephens Media Group to supply 25 FasTRAK Violet CTP imaging system and CTP Workflow solutions for their daily newspapers and commercial print facility. Stephens Media Group, headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada, has thirteen daily newspapers operating throughout eight states.

Terry Duck, Director of Operations, Las Vegas Review-Journal, stated, "Stephens Media selected alfaQuest for two main reasons - first - the diversity of their FasTRAK Violet CTP product line allowed us to configure the best CTP solution for the production requirements of our individual newspapers, and - second - is our satisfaction over the past ten years with the quality and performance of alfaQuest's film imagers, RIPs, workflow software and support capabilities."

Another contributing factor in alfaQuest's selection was the results of press tests, which proved FasTRAK violet CTP plate quality off press was unsurpassed by any competing CTP technology. This provides Stephens Media the best price/performance capital investment coupled with assurance of the highest quality for their print products throughout the life of the investment.

Stephens Media's FasTRAK Violet CTP configurations range in size from the largest, consisting of three FasTRAK Violet 180 plate per hour units and three TRAKmate 2 autoloaders, scheduled for Stephens Media's flagship Las Vegas Review-Journal, through locations with two FasTRAK Violet 150 plate per hour units and TRAKmate 2 autoloaders, to locations with one or two FasTRAK Violet 150 units operating in a semi-automatic manual plate feed mode.

Stephens Media Group Newspapers will integrate alfaQuest CTP workflow systems to deliver plate-ready pages to their CTP units. Las Vegas Review-Journal will utilize SUN base PrintExpress/CPM (Consolidated Production Management) System developed by IPA Systems Limited (UK).

Stephens Media joins other Corporate Newspaper Groups such as Gannett Inc., Freedom Newspapers, Journal Register Company, Shearman Newspapers, CNHI and numerous privately held newspapers in their choice of FasTRAK Violet CTP.

Announced at NEXPO 2005, the new Ultra Series Panther FasTRAK Violet CTP continues alfaQuest's successful tradition of providing the highest quality, and best price versus performance imaging systems for Newspaper Publishers.

Since announcement, alfaQuest has received orders for 50+ FasTRAK CTP units in the U.S. newspaper sector alone, with world wide orders, both direct and through IPA Systems Limited in excess of 150 units.

FasTRAK Violet CTP utilises a field-proven opti-mechanical system for alignment and positioning, ensuring repeatability of plus/minus 0.001 inches, for highest quality colour registration. The straight through flatbed design incorporates a new plate transport system, which has proven to be both very reliable and simple to maintain.

FasTRAK Violet CTP can image single or double-truck newspaper pages at 1016, 1200, 1270, 1524, 1800,2400 or 2540 DPI. Rated at either 150 or 180 broadsheet plates per hour (at 1016 DPI), FasTRAK Violet CTP allows manual feed for small to medium sized operations or connects to the 1,000 plate-capacity TRAKmate 2 autoloader.

For more information please contact: sales@ipasystems.co.uk

TOP